- jklynd, thanks so much for this. So you found this through Google News. good. But I just went to Google News and it's not listed on today's menu. http://news.google.com - maybe they rotate. Oh . . . this was dated yesterday.
They could've been writing about me. And, for once, I see accurate reporting about the symptoms (although the vaccination phrase needs history explained and tests could be further explained).
For once, ILADS is mentioned. The only thing I would have added would have been a few links.
The newspaper is The Observer-Dispatch - Utica, NY
They do have a comment section.
article below - paragraphs broken up for easier reading:
Lyme disease support groups ramp up for awareness month
By Jessica Young GateHouse News Service Posted May 03, 2008 @ 10:22 PM
Ruth Hornacek of La Grange, Ill., was having trouble sorting laundry. She was experiencing a mental disconnect and was unable to separate clothes into piles for her husband and kids.
``I had no focus, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't pay bills on time, and aI didn't even have the concentration or stamina to take a shower, and I'd nap for three hours afterward from sheer exertion,'' Hornacek said.
``My life spiraled out of control, and doctors just kept telling me I was depressed.''
Convinced that there was some other underlying cause for the extreme difficulties she was facing, Hornacek took to the Internet, frantically searching for people with similar symptoms.
The words Lyme disease kept popping up.
Sure enough, a Lyme-literate doctor in Michigan identified the insect-transmitted illness as the culprit.
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, and Hornacek's Chicagoland Lyme Support Group is determined to get the word out about the disease to educate the public on its prevalence, debunk myths and impress on people the need to lobby Congress for an increase in research funding.
The network is even in the midst of filming a YouTube commercial.
``We're trying to get the message out that this is something that's hitting our corner of the world hard, and we're 25 years behind with research,'' Hornacek said. ``Given what I've been through, I feel it's my duty to let people know. It's insane -- it's so much more common than people realize.''
The infectious disease is caused by bacterium from ticks, and sand flies and mosquitos also have been implicated. It can be transmitted in utero or sexually. If left untreated, the disease spreads to the nervous and immune systems and the heart and joints.
Because it can lie dormant for years before manifesting itself in any physical manner, this is a scary reality for many people. Additionally, misdiagnosis is common because most doctors aren't familiar enough with the symptoms, Hornacek said.
According to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, Lyme disease is the fastest-growing worldwide epidemic.
``We don't want to throw the population into a frenzy, but there's evidence linking Lyme's to autism, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic depression, fibromialgia, restless leg syndrome,'' said Dr. Catherine Bright-Helms.
``Currently, there's no really good blood or urine test to detect the disease, and there are no known clinical studies to find a vaccination. That's a problem because of the ripple effect it has.''
Hornacek has battled major health problems, including panic attacks, anxiety, crushing fatigue, severe gastrointestinal irritation, swollen spleen, facial twitching, vision disturbances and menstrual issues.
``It hits every system in the body. Everything goes haywire,'' she said. ``Antibiotics alone will not cure it. I spend thousands of dollars a month on supplements and herbs; I adhere to a strict diet; and I get kidney and colon cleansings. It's a mess.''
Activists have been lobbying for politicians to take action on The Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education & Research Act, bills S 1708 and HR 741, to provide money for research and the expansion of federal efforts aimed at eradicating the disease. The bills call for the creation of an advisory committee.
``They're sitting on it. We've been tying up the phone lines because we need this money released now, and it's in danger of expiring,'' Hornacek said.
``Here I am trying to contact the government when the thought of expending the effort to pick up the phone is overwhelming, and I can't even recall the proper vocabulary half the time because of the brain fog caused by the disease.''
But she remains determined. The group will plan a number of educational and fundraising events for the month of May, including a trampoline-a-thon.
``The feeling of utter helplessness when you know something is wrong with you but you don't know what or how to solve it (is overwhelming),'' Hornacek said. ``Lyme Disease is a tricky one to diagnose, and we want to help educate the public.''
- Suburban Life Publications ----------------------- (sidebar)
By the numbers
- 19,931 Cases of Lyme disease reported nationally in 2006 -- more than double the 8,257 reported in 1993.
- 110 Cases reported in Illinois in 2006, almost six times the 19 reported in 1993.
- 59,770 cases were reported in epidemic-level states -- Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin -- from 2003 to 2005
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention*
*Lyme Disease support group members say the illness is grossly under-reported and misdiagnosed, so statistics could be higher.
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[ 04. May 2008, 11:44 AM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by adamm (Member # 11910) on :
Best article I've read in a long time.
Posted by LymeCFIDSMCS (Member # 13573) on :
Great article -- I'm going to share with my family in Illinois. Thanks for posting it.
Posted by jklynd (Member # 7550) on :
I have Google set as my "Home Page", once it comes up ,just click on "News", at upper left, and type in "Lyme disease", (in quotes), into the search box, and it will give you recent articles. If you want the absolutely most recent postings,under the "News Results" header,you will see "Sorted by Relevance", click on "Sort by Date".....You can also subscribe to LymeInfo.net's service for free by going to this link..... [email protected] ,and providing your e-mail address..... It will send an automatic e-mail to your inbox when something regarding Lyme disease occurs--(Exclusive of Source:newspaper,medical journal,video,You-Tube,etc. ) ...Joe
Posted by daise (Member # 13622) on :
This article of Ruthie's was in Activism and General, too. Good article!
daise Posted by Ruthie1776 (Member # 13889) on :
Thanks all for your positive comments.
I wanted to point out that if you go to the original article there are some comments in there. I rebutted someone fom a lab in Utah...I think his job there is damage control. He wanted to let everyone know that they set up a medical website for doctors to check out what lab tests should be ordered because they don't always have a lot of "freetime" researching the right tests. That made me cringe so I let him have it! Duh....the tests aren't accurate for the disease so why bother going to the site???? Check it out.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)